Hi this is Harlan Kilstein and on this blog, I’d like to share a little bit of what is going on in my own personal life.
I was born in Brooklyn and attended a combination of public and private schooling through High School. At the end of my High School career, I met a number of individuals who changed my life.
First and foremost was Professor Elie Wiesel who later went on the win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wiesel was my teacher and I became close with him and often visited him at his New York apartment.
Later, I would visit him at Boston University where he invited me to study with him for a Doctorate and become his graduate assistant. I never took him up on that offer but had I taken that path, I would probably have ended up in Academia.
I graduated from Yeshiva College and went on the receive an MS in Education from the Ferkauf Graduate School. I was accepted as a fellow to the Azrieli Graduation School where I went on to receive my Doctorate in Educational Supervision and Administration.
At the same time that I met Professor Wiesel, I met Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who became my teacher forever. He was a magical, mystical human who loved everyone he met. The time I spend with him changed my life forever. At his funeral, homeless people and street bums cried their hearts out when they heard of his passing.
Over time, I will share some of what I learned from these two giants.